LUIS MARTÍN OYA

Assistant Director of the Nacho Duato Academy (NDA) in Madrid.

He was born in Madrid and began her classical dance studies with maestro Pedro de la Cruz. He graduated from the Real Conservatorio Superior de Danza de Madrid and from L'École de Danse Clasique Princesse Grace de Monte Carlo directed by Marika Bessobrasova.  In 1987 he joined the National Dance Company under the direction of Maya Plisetskaya, a period in which he began to perform his first roles as a soloist dancer. With the incorporation of Nacho Duato to the direction of the company, he was promoted to first dancer. 

Throughout 16 years, he participated in all the creations of Valencian choreographer and danced most of the repertoire of the CND, which also included pieces by great international choreographers such as Jiri Kylian, William Forsythe, Ohad Naharin or Mats Ek, with whom he had the opportunity to work personally.  He performed in numerous international galas and was invited by Alicia Alonso to participate in the gala of the 50th anniversary of the creation of the Ballet of Cuba. After finishing his career as a performer, Nacho Duato incorporates him into the production team of the CND as tour manager, reaching the position of Production Director. During this time, and on behalf of the CND, he has collaborated with EmprendeEscena-Factoría Cultural as a mentor, advising new cultural projects nationwide. 

He collaborates in conservatories, universities and international dance schools as a choreographer and guest teacher specializing in works by Nacho Duato. He holds an advanced degree in business management from ESERP (Madrid) and a Master in Internalization and Cooperation in Cultural and Creative Sector Management from the Complutense University of Madrid. He has been a lecturer in the area of cultural management at the Complutense University of Madrid and has worked on various cultural development projects between public and private entities at national and international level. He is currently the assistant director of the Nacho Duato Academy in Madrid.

AYAKO KURAKAKE

Coreógrafa Rouis Host Dance Composition Method / Kazuko Hirabayashi Choreographic Method

Ayako Kurakake (Osaka, Japan) received her BFA in dance from Osaka University of the Arts. From 1991 to 1998 she danced with the K. Chamber Dance Company, in which year she moved to New York to enter SUNY Purchase College where she studied composition and Graham technique from Kazuko Hirabayashi. In 2001 she received her MFA in teaching choreography. Her professional research is Rouis Host Dance Composition Method / Kazuko Hirabayashi Choreographic Method. 

At the same time, she worked as a rehearsal assistant for Ms. Hirabayashi and created choreographies at Alvin Ailey School and SUNY Purchase College. Over the past few years, Kurakake has choreographed works that have been performed in many venues in New York, Japan and San Francisco such as at the American Dance Guild, the Joyce SOHO Present or the Alvin Ailey Theatre.

From 1999 to 2004 Ayako Kurakake has worked as a dance program assistant between New York and Burgos, directed by Kazuko Hirabayashi and Alberto Estébanez. She has also been a jury member of the Burgos & NY International Choreographic Competition in 2003 and 2004. A year later, in 2005, he founded the dance company a-core-dance arts in New York and the REVERB Dance Festival (https://www.facebook.com/REVERBdance/) for new choreographers.

Simultaneously, she began researching Gaga dance, a movement language and pedagogy developed by the director and teacher of Batsheva Dance Company, Ohad Naharin. As a result of her training in 2007 she established Gaga Japan in Japan and produced many Gaga WS. His activity in this discipline continues to this day in many centers in Japan such as the Tokyo Archivan Dance Studio, the Aichi Prefectural Arts Theater, the Kitakyushu Performing Arts Center, the Kyoto Art Center, the Yokohama Red Brickwarehouse, the Kobe Dance Box, Mukogawa Women's University, Kobe University, Chyukyo University and Kobe College. She also teaches at many other organizations, where she also teaches composition and Graham technique, as well as choreographing for the company.

MARIO BERMUDEZ

Artistic Director and Choreographer of Marcat Dance

Is a prolific creator who has developed a language through movement that is recognizable by its dynamic physicality and lasting emotional impact. His acclaimed works and commissions are performed by Marcat Dance and other leading dance companies around the world, including the National Dance Company of Spain, the National Dance Company of Wales, flamenco star Eva Yerbabuena, Hung Dance Taiwan and Scapino Ballet Rotterdam.

Prior to Marcat Dance, Mario was a company member of Tel Aviv-based Batsheva Dance (2012-2016). With Batsheva he performed works by Ohad Naharin, Sharon Eyal, Hofesh Shechter and Roy Assaf, and danced in prestigious theaters around the world, including the Paris National Opera (France), Brooklyn Academy of Music (Brooklyn, NY) and The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (Washington, DC). From 2010 to 2012 Mario was in New York City and danced with Andrea Miller's Gallim Dance and Jennifer Muller / The Works. His training began at age 20 when he studied at the Centro Andaluz de Danza in Seville (Spain) between 2008 and 2010.

Awards and mentions: Finalist in 2 categories of the MAX Awards 2020, including Best Choreography and Best Male Performer, Best Choreography of 2020 at the PAD Awards in Seville, ¨Best Choreography¨ Escenarios de Sevilla (2019), Young Artist Award of Jaén, Andalusia (2018), "25 To Watch" in Dance Magazine USA (2017), "Best Dancer Award" at the Certamen Coreográfico Distrito de Tetuán, Madrid Spain (2017).

CATHERINE COURY

Dancer and creative assistant choreographer

Performer and creative assistant to choreographer Mario Bermudez Gil, as well as Gaga teacher (Ohad Naharin / Batsheva Dance Company Movement Language) and Ilan Lev Practitioner. She has received numerous awards as a performer, including Best Dancer at the 2020 PAD Awards in Seville; was a finalist for Best Female Performer at the 2020 MAX Awards; and received recognition for Best Dancer at the 2019 Tetuan District Choreography Competition.

Prior to Marcat Dance, Catherine lived and worked in New York City for five years working independently with choreographers Shen Wei, Shannon Gillen, Andrea Miller and Loni Landon. As a performer, she toured internationally at venues such as Lincoln Center (New York), Art Basel (Miami), Festival de Danse (Cannes) and Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko Theater (Moscow), among others. As a dance administrator, Catherine played an integral role in the development of Andrea Miller's Gallim Dance and The Playground NYC. Originally from Detroit, Michigan, Catherine received her BFA from the University of Michigan.